Addressing a crowded press conference here today, State PHE Minister and president of ACA Gautom Roy said till today around Rs 91 crore has been spent for constructing the stadium and out of that around Rs 34 crore has been received from BCCI. Roy said the Indian cricket board provides subsidy to all its affiliated units for the development of the game in their respective States. But ACA spends a portion from that amount for construction of the stadium.

Roy said that the State government has allotted 59 bighas of land for the stadium and an amount of Rs 1 crore from which the construction work was started in 2006.

The ACA president further revealed that in other States corporate houses purchase specific stands in the stadiums and from that they earn hefty amounts. But in Assam no corporate bodies have come forward to contribute.

ACA treasurer Ghanashyam Baruah gave details about the BCCI subsidy since 2004. He said BCCI will provide a maximum of Rs 50 crore for stadium construction and accordingly ACA has to get around Rs 16 crore for the stadium.

On Guwahati not being considered as an IPL venue, ACA secretary Bikash Baruah said ACA had applied to BCCI on September 11 last year for an IPL match. But as per the norms, team franchisee needs the match venue for a long period which is not possible in case of Guwahati as the Nehru Stadium belongs to the State Government and it is a multi discipline sports complex. Moreover the facilities required for hosting IPL match are not available in this centre.

Bikash Baruah also said that it was not known to ACA that BCCI in its affidavit to Gauhati High Court for GL Agarwala’s PIL, has said that the law and order situation in Assam was not conducive for holding IPL matches. Baruah condemned the BCCI remark on Assam, and assured the media that in the BCCI’s executive body meeting, ACA will raise the issue.